Sun Mar 23, 2003 1:43 am
The airline industry has always been very cyclical. Those beginning training today, by the time they have reached a competitive level of experience, will likely see an industry that will be drastically changed from what they are seeing today. Over time, the economy will pick up and the airlines will be profitable again. Hiring will pick up, though maybe not to the levels seen in the late 90's. By the same token, after that, there will be down cycles with more furloughs. That's the way it has always been, and those choosing this as a career should be aware of and prepared for these cycles.
Even in these difficult times, there are companies hiring. AirTran, ATA, America West, jetBlue, SWA, Frontier, Alaska, Horizon, Comair and others are hiring or have hired in the very recent past. Some have plans for possible classes in the near future, such as FedEx. It should be noted, that some of these companies, SWA for example, are drawing from a pool of previously interviewed and selected applicants, and are not accepting new applications.
[Edited 2003-03-22 17:44:28]